11/8/2012

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The USA Swimming Foundation has named the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission as the newest member of its Make a Splash Affiliate Coalition. This partnership was forged in an effort to increase drowning prevention nationwide.

Make a Splash is the national, child-focused water safety initiative of the USA Swimming Foundation that aims to provide the opportunity for every child in America to learn to swim.

The Make a Splash Affiliate Coalition is comprised of aquatic industry leaders and community organizations with the common goal of promoting the importance of learn-to-swim and water safety to children across America.

As an Affiliate partner, the CPSC will work help promote Make a Splash through the CPSC’s national Pool Safely Campaign, which works to prevent drownings among vulnerable populations. The CPSA will highlight the USA Swimming Foundation’s network of 555 local partner organizations, which provide swimming lessons or water safety education for free or at a low cost to the public. Additionally, the organizations will identify opportunities for the Foundation to be involved in Pool Safely campaign activities, outreach initiatives and events.

“The USA Swimming Foundation and its Make a Splash initiative are doing a remarkable job getting minority children into swim classes, giving them confidence in the pool and making them good swimmers. Their programs fit perfectly with the CPSC’s Pool Safely campaign vision to prevent child drownings and our efforts to reach vulnerable and important populations. We look forward to working with them in 2013 and beyond,” said Pool Safely Campaign Leader Kathleen Reilly.

“The USA Swimming Foundation is pleased to partner with the CPSC to promote the Make a Splash initiative. As we expand our Coalition, we look forward to positively impacting kids across the nation with our message of saving lives through the message of learn-to-swim.” said USA Swimming Foundation Executive Director Debbie Hesse.

Sobering Drowning Statistics

Approximately 10 people drown every day in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and more than one in five fatal drowning victims are children younger than 14. Drowning is also a silent killer—most young children who drowned in pools were last seen in the home, had been out of sight less than five minutes, and were in the care of one or both parents at the time, according to the Present P. Child Drowning study.

Furthermore, 60-70 percent of African-American and Hispanic/Latino children cannot swim, and only 13 percent of kids who come from a non-swimming household will ever learn to swim, according to a national research study by the USA Swimming Foundation and the University of Memphis. African-American children drown at a rate nearly three times higher than their Caucasian peers, the CDC reports.